POWER MODULES

Power Modules
How to avoid errors when applying thermal paste
The power electronics sector is continually striving to boost the reliability of power mod-
ules. The main focus of research work in this sector is on semiconductor chips, packaging
technology and the DBC substrate. The weak point of heat-sink-mounted power modules,
however, is the “gap” between the module and the heat sink which results from uneven-
ness on the contact surfaces and which has to be filled with a thermal conductive medium
in order to get rid of the air pockets.
By Dieter Esau, Process Engineer and Dr. Michaela Strube,
Manager Service Engineering, Semikron
We are working on closing this “gap” on two levels. Firstly, by offering
a professional thermal paste application service – Pre-applied Ther-
mal Paste for Power Modules – a service that has already proven
rather successful, with over 700,000 power modules having been
printed with a thermal paste layer. In addition, Semikron is developing
its know-how and expertise in the area of thermal conductive media
application and function.

Designated use of thermal conductive media

Thermal conductive media normally consist of a plastic carrier materi-
al (e.g. silicon oil) and thermal conductive filler substances such as
zinc oxide, graphite or silver. They are available in the form of pastes,
adhesives, phase-change materials and foils. Thermal interface
materials conduct heat better than air and typically have a specific
thermal conductivity (Lambda) of 0.5 - 6 W/m·K. In other words, the
thermal conductivity of thermal interface materials is approximately
20 - 200 times better than that of air. To enable the thermal conduc-
tivity properties of thermal interface materials to be categorised,
Table 1 shows the specific thermal conductivity of materials common- layer therefore has to be as thin as possible but as thick as neces-
ly used in power modules. The thermal paste P12 from the company sary (see Figure 1).
Wacker has been taken by way of example. The thermal resistance
values R(th) shown are based on the module-specific thermal
spreading.

If the thermal conductivity of thermal paste is compared with the ther-

mal conductivity of other components in a power module (see Table
1), the thermal paste does not rate particularly well. The extent to
which thermal paste contributes to the overall thermal resistance
R(thjs) of the module amounts to around 20-65%, depending on the
module and the combination with the heat sink. The thermal paste

Material Spec. thermal Thickness Portion R(th) of Figure 1: Dependence of thermal resistance on thermal interface
conductivity Lambda [μm] SKiM modules material layer thickness
Chip 106 120 2,92%
Too thin a thermal paste layer results in air pockets between the under-
Chip solder 57 70 3,65%
side of the module and the top of the heat sink, causing a high thermal
DCB (Copper) 394 300 1,94%
resistance Rth(cs). Once the optimum has been reached, the thermal
DCB (Al2O3) 24 380 32,91% resistance between the case and the heat sink increases quickly again
DCB (Copper) 394 300 1,31% in line with the increase in thermal paste layer thickness. This happens
Thermal paste (P12 0,81 30 57,26% because the specific thermal conductivity of thermal conductive media
from WACKER)
is very low compared with other materials in a power semiconductor
Table 1: Specific thermal conductivity of materials commonly used in module. The minimum value is different for every heat-sink-mounted
a power semiconductor module module and has to be defined in appropriate tests.

36 Bodo´s Power Systems® April

May 2010
2010 www.bodospower.com
 POWER MODULES

The importance of thermal paste composition

R(th) tests have shown that the thermal conductivity of a thermal
paste in actual application does not only depend on its specific ther-
mal conductivity, but also on it its composition. The larger the filler
particles in a thermal paste are, the higher the specific thermal con-
ductivity. The particle size of the filler determines the minimum layer
thickness. In other words, the thermal paste layer applied cannot be
thinner than the largest particles in the paste. After several tempera-
ture cycles, a paste with small particles (e.g. P12: particle size
0.04μm - 4μm) allows almost for metal-to-metal contact at points
where the pressure is particularly high, resulting in a substantial
reduction in R(thcs).

Thermal paste application

Thermal paste can be applied either to the module or to the heat
sink. This is done using a roller or in printing processes. In roller
application, a rubber roller is normally used, while the most common
printing method used is silk screen printing or stencil printing.

Applying thermal paste with a rubber roller can lead to sufficient

results, provided this critical step is performed by experienced profes-
sional staff with relevant training. This process does, however, have
shortcomings such as inhomogeneity, poor reproducibility and the
risk of contamination.

In stencil and screen printing, far better results can be achieved than
with the roller process, provided automatic printing methods are
employed. Manual printing, for its part, can lead to considerable
process deviations. The development of a process with an automatic
stencil printer featuring continuous process monitoring, as is the case

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 POWER MODULES
at SEMIKRON, requires substantial investments, however, which in
economic terms only makes sense for large production quantities.
In addition to complying with recommended layer thickness, care
should be taken when applying the thermal paste to ensure that the
thermal paste layer is spread on the underside of the module or the
heat sink surface evenly and homogenously. An inhomogeneous
thermal paste layer (extreme case: application of one or more ther-
mal paste blots) can result in DBC ceramic substrate breakage (Fig-
ure 2). This applies to modules with and without a base plate alike. In
addition to this, thermal paste inhomogeneity can also lead to local
overheating resulting from the air pockets between the underside of
the module and the upper side of the heat sink surface.
Figure 2: Module underside showing problematic thermal paste layer
application
Measuring the thickness of thermal paste layer
The thickness of a thermal paste layer can be measured directly or
indirectly. An indirect way of measuring the thickness is, for example,
to weigh the thermal paste by performing a Tara weight measurement
using suitable scales. An example of a direct contact-free measure-
ment of the thermal paste layer is a measurement using an optical
profilometer such as the μSCAN from Nano Focus. Other measure-
ment equipment that could be used to measure the thermal paste
layer directly includes, for example, thickness gauges such as wet
film combs (e.g. from Zehntner (ZND 2051) or Elcometer Instruments
or BYK Gardner (PG-3504)) or wet film wheels (e.g. from Zehntner
(ZWW 2100-2102) or BYK Gardner). The downside of these, howev-
er, is that they may cause damage to the layer in places.
Determining the optimum thickness for thermal paste layer
The optimum minimum thickness for a specific thermal paste in com-
bination with a specific heat sink surface can be determined in a
defined process which starts at a minimum thickness of around 10μm
and is increased in 10μm steps (another option would be to alternate
the steps). Here, the thermal paste is applied to the module or the
heat sink or to an aluminium plate in accordance with the specifica-
tions of the module manufacturer. When tightening the mounting
screws, the tightening torques specified by the module manufacturer
must be observed. To achieve a relaxed system state the mounted
and secured module should undergo three thermal cycles
(20°C/100°C/1h).
After thermal cycling, a module with no base plate can not be easily
removed without causing destruction, since the module is pressed
onto the heat sink/aluminium plate and the sticky thermal paste is
distributed in the space between, producing an enormous adhesive
force. To ensure non-destructive removal, the module should there-
fore be left untouched at room temperature for 12 hours after the
screw has been loosened or should undergo 1-2 thermal cycles.
Once the module has been unscrewed, the imprint pattern on the
underside of the module gives an indication of whether the thermal
paste layer provides optimum contact between module and heat sink.
Figure 3 (left) shows the underside of a power module containing
large areas with untouched thermal paste. This indicates that the
38 Bodo´s Power Systems®
thermal paste layer is in fact too thin (approx. 30μm). By way of com-
parison, Figure 3 (right) shows the underside of a module that is cov-
ered entirely with thermal paste, with the exception of certain high-
pressure points where metal-to-metal contact is achieved. This is
indicative of optimum thermal paste application (approx. 50μm).
Figure 3: Module showing poor (left) and optimum (right) thermal
paste application
By optimising the thermal paste layer thickness for the individual
heat-sink-mounted module and using automated application process-
es to guarantee quality standards, the shortcomings of thermal con-
ductive media can be compensated for to a certain extent. The prob-
lem with the “gap” that emerges between the power module and the
heat sink, however, still bears the biggest potential for improvement.
Thermal paste application service
The thermal paste application service provided by Semikron simpli-
fies the module assembly onto the heat sink. Customers no longer
have to include this production step and can therefore reduce costs.
The production staff’s gloves are not at risk of contamination from the
thermal paste and the thermal paste cannot accidentally find its way
into production. The optimised module-specific thermal paste layer
thickness reduces the overall thermal resistance and the risk of DBC
breakage. The thermal paste is applied in an automated printing
process, and the module-specific thermal paste layer boasts an accu-
racy of +/-10 μm. The application process is monitored using SixSig-
ma quality control methods. The modules with thermal paste layer
are transported to the customer in purpose-developed, patent-pro-
tected packaging that ensures contact-free transportation of finished
modules containing a thermal paste layer. Modules containing a ther-
mal paste layer can be stored in this packaging for up to 18 months.
The thermal paste application service is available for SKiM 63 and
93, SEMIPACK 2, SEMITRANS 2, and MiniSKiiP modules.
PCIM Booth 12/411
www.semikron.com
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May 2010 www.bodospower.com